


you listen to me

by nolanpatty



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, That is really all we are simple people here, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26128219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nolanpatty/pseuds/nolanpatty
Summary: “You don’t listen to that kind of shit, okay? Listen to me.” Auston rubs his thumb along Mitch’s throat, soothing him for a moment as Mitch breathes. "You're doing everything right."
Relationships: Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews
Comments: 14
Kudos: 58
Collections: NHL Hotel Hoedown 2020





	you listen to me

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [HotelHoedown](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HotelHoedown) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Auston notices Mitch up late one night and becomes worried. He knows Mitch is struggling with his confidence and Auston gives him the ultimate pep talk. The two cuddle for the rest of the night.

Auston feels like he’s riding the biggest high of his life. Feels like he just won the Cup itself when really it was only a qualifier game. But they were down three nothing in the third period, and then they tied it up in the last five minutes. And Auston made the game winner in overtime in a playoff elimination game, and it sends a thrill up his spine just thinking about it. This is what playoff hockey was supposed to feel like, and Auston’s addicted.

Game five would be coming up, and it’s just as important if the team wants to make it to the first round of playoffs. But Auston is buzzing off this win and couldn’t even think about sleeping. He’s tried watching an episode of The Office, listened to some music, even called an old buddy who was living somewhere in Europe now, but nothing took the excitement away. Nothing settled his body enough to make him want to sleep. So eventually Auston decided to just leave his room and started roaming the halls, figuring maybe a walk and getting out of his room could settle his mind enough to get him to fall asleep. 

He definitely wasn’t expecting to run into anyone, but when he saw Mitch from down the hall his stomach sank in an instant. Mitch was never great at keeping his emotions inside, and even from down the hall, Auston could read all of them. His hunched shoulders and heavy sighing as he waited for the ice machine to work. It wasn’t a secret that Mitch wasn’t playing as well as he could be, but the team had still won. After all, hockey was a team sport. The game outcome didn’t ride on any one person’s shoulders, no matter what idiotic reporters would say. A win or a loss is always built of lots of good moments and lots of bad moments that just mount to either end. Mitch not doing as well was hard, sure, but it wasn’t something the team couldn’t overcome together. And Mitch wasn’t doing _nothing;_ he was making assists in most games. 

Auston had maybe been willing to overlook the quiet moments Mitch had alone lately because he was either focused on a team win or a team loss and how to help the team as a whole. Now though, Auston is painfully aware of his own failure for one of his best teammates here. This is the guy Auston’s supposed to play hockey with for the rest of his career, and here Auston has let him down. He’s let Mitch get lost in his own head and in his own defeats while the team around him was celebrating a win. 

Auston decided at that moment that he wouldn’t let that stand. He walked the length of the hallway and stood next to Mitch, bumping his shoulder lightly. 

“Hey, what’re you doing up still?” Auston mumbles into the quiet of the hotel hallway.

Mitch shrugs, his oversized hoodie falling just a bit off his shoulder with the motion, “Can’t sleep.”

“Me either. Want company?” Auston offers.

“Sure.” Mitch responds without looking at Auston. 

Mitch finishes getting his ice, and Auston follows Mitch to his room in silence. Mitch sits on his bed, still holding the ice bucket in his lap. He fidgets with the lid of the bucket without saying anything to Auston, and Auston sighs.

“You gonna talk first or should I just jump right into it?” 

Mitch’s shoulders slump, and he sets the ice bucket down on the nightstand. 

“What do you mean?” he mumbles, still not looking at Auston.

“Mitchy, c’mon man.” Auston takes a step closer to Mitch’s bed, “You don’t think I haven’t seen you moping around since game two?” 

Mitch scoffs, but it’s weak, “Have not.”

Auston rolls his eyes and decides to sit next to Mitch on the bed, their thighs pressing against each other.

“Marns,” Auston says gently, “You gotta get out of your head, man.” Auston taps Mitch’s forehead with a goofy smile on his lips. Mitch tries to mirror the smile, but falls flat after only a second. 

“I know,” Mitch mumbles.

He looks so sad though and it hurts Auston in a way he’s unfamiliar with. Mitch leans into Auston, their shoulders pressing together. He drops his head onto Auston’s shoulder and whispers, “You ever just think you’re not enough?” 

Auston lets out a soft whine from the back of this through and puts a hand on Mitch’s head, slowly curling his fingers into his hair. “Mitchy, you better not be thinking things like that.”

“Everyone’s saying it,” Mitch confirms.

“Everyone’s stupid then,” Auston says roughly, something caught in his throat. “Toronto doesn’t know as much about hockey as they think they do.” 

“Not just Toronto,” Mitch mutters, dejected.

“Hey,” Auston says, forcing Mitch to pay attention, “Look at me.” Mitch grunts and doesn’t look up, so Auston taps his head, “Mitch, look at me.” He does his best to convey that it isn’t a question. 

Mitch squawks, and meets Auston’s eyes. 

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you aren’t enough. You are more than enough.” Auston holds Mitch’s eyes and places a gentle hand on Mitch’s neck. “You don’t listen to that kind of shit, okay? Listen to me.” Auston rubs his thumb along Mitch’s throat, soothing him for a moment as Mitch breathes. “You’re doing everything right. Sometimes we just play like shit, and it’s okay. You can’t get stuck there though. Pick yourself up, and play the next game the best you can. It will click again; it always does.” 

Mitch gives the smallest of nods, but doesn’t respond.

“You play some of the best hockey in the league. You don’t have to be bigger. You don’t have to be stronger. You don’t have to give or take more hits. You keep doing what you’ve always done, and you’ll get back on the board.” Auston says with confidence.

“Okay,” Mitch lets out. 

“Yeah?” Auston says, like maybe he doesn’t believe him. He’s willing to give Mitch more if he needs it; he’ll give him everything, if that’s what it takes to take that sadness out of Mitch. He’s willing to do whatever makes him stop looking like a puppy that’s just been kicked while it was already down. 

“Yeah,” Mitch says, and just takes a moment to lean into Auston’s touch. “Thanks Aus,” he offers.

“Course, Mitchy.” Auston bumps his forehead to Mitch’s, and Mitch gives him a small smile back.

Auston thinks, he’ll take that small smile.

They sit there on Mitch’s bed together for a moment. The silence wrapping around them comfortably, Mitch’s head slumped against Auston’s shoulder now, and Auston’s fingers finding their way into Mitch’s hair again. It’s comfortable and familiar in a way that only Mitch is to Auston. 

“Thanks, Aus,” Mitch mumbles against his shoulder.

“Course, Mitchy.” Auston keeps his fingers running through Mitch’s hair. “We can talk about these things, don’t let yourself get so lost again.”

“Yeah, okay.” Auston can feel Mitch’s lips curl slowly into a smile against his shoulder. “Wanna cuddle?” Mitch asks quietly, the words mumbled into Auston’s shoulder. 

Auston lets out a low chuckle, “Sure, Mitchy.”

Auston situates themselves in the way he knows Mitch likes best. Auston’s arm wrapped tightly around Mitch’s middle, their legs twisted and tangled together, and Auston’s chest pushed flush to Mitch’s back. 

“This is good,” Mitch sighs happily.

“That’s good,” Auston hides a smile in Mitch’s neck. 

“Love you, ya know?” Mitch asks. 

Of course Auston knows, though. 

“Love you too, Mitchy.” Auston whispers into the quiet of the dark hotel room. 

They fall asleep like that, wrapped in each other's arms, breathing calmly, in unison, like they do everything else. 

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr @farfrombucky


End file.
